3 Daughters all of whom have ilegitimate children - Coincedence?

[cati]

My 3x great-grandmother had at least 5 illegitimate children between 1830 - 40 before she married my 3x great-grandfather (no evidence to suggest he was the father of any of them): they went on to have a further 4 children, the last of whom was a posthumous baby. 

I don't think any the worse of her for this - he seems to have accepted the first 5, as the family bible (from about 1851) shows them all with his surname. (This caused me much confusion, as I researched this branch pre-internet days!)

And on another branch, great-great grandfather was 13 before his parents were married.

[JAKnighton]

Elvis Presley's grandmother (or maybe great-grandmother?) had a huge brood of illegitimate children with many fathers, she never did get married I think.

[Jomot]

Within my family I have 3 sisters producing 12 illegitimate children between them, mostly whilst they were living in a rural village.   This was around the 1850's-1860's, but definitely nothing 'sinister' as their own father had died and their only brother was away in the army.   

[Millmoor]

In some parts of rural Scotland illegitimacy rates were very high during the 19th century. Rural Banffshire was one such area. Rates were higher among the agricultural communities (as opposed to the fishing communities, for example)- one suggestion is that it was to "prove" fertility and therefore ensure future farm workers . Professor T C Smout opines that illegitimacy often did run in families. Certainly in my own Banffshire ancestors I have discovered that my great grandfather,his mother, her father and his father were all illegitimate (with lots of others in researching the extended family). Looking at this area certainly nothing sinister - indeed you could go as far as to say that it was part of the way of life.

William

[smudwhisk]

One of my ancestors had four illegitimate children between 1783 and 1798.  The first was baptised 1783 with no father's name on the baptism, but six months later she and the father signed a bastardy bond confirming parentage of the male child.  Then in 1803 she had three more children baptised born in 1792, 1795 and 1798.  The parish clerk entered the reputed father's name, the same name as for her son born in 1783.

What's somewhat more shocking is the fact the reputed father was actually the husband of her aunt , with whom she had lived since her parents had died when she was young (confirmed by a Chancery Case from 1785 when she and her brother had to take the executor's of their father's estate to court to gain their inheritance once both reached the age of 21 years).  Her aunt only died in 1791 so was alive when the first child was born.  All four children took their father's surname which caused problems researching until we came across the 1803 baptism on a transcript a few years back, which had been until then unreadable on the fiche.  When you know its there, it can be seen but was very unclear.

For whatever reason, the parents never married, even though he was free to do so after 1791 and she, as far as I can see, never married anyone else.

I feel very sorry for the Aunt.

[mrsruz]

I don't know how true it is, but I believe it was common for the prospective bride to be pregnant in the Birmingham area in Victorian times. Apparently to be sure she was fertile before the marriage took place.
Wonder how they could be sure that the groom was the father.......or perhaps it didn't matter.

[Rosinish]

So anyone seen something similar before?
Any theories as to why? (there is one horrible one that I'm hoping isn't the case....)

I've seen one or two illegitimate children to one mother but not something that appears to be a regular occurrence in one family!

Illegitimate Child count (so far!):
Jane Williams (b. 1826) - William Lloyd, Robert, Anne, Jane
Margaret Williams (b. 1827) - Mary, Grace, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Williams (b. 1830) - Peter, Elias

Have you seen any marriages of those children & do they give a father's name?

Annie

[larkspur]

In some parts of rural Scotland illegitimacy rates were very high during the 19th century. Rural Banffshire was one such area. Rates were higher among the agricultural communities (as opposed to the fishing communities, for example)- one suggestion is that it was to "prove" fertility and therefore ensure future farm workers . Professor T C Smout opines that illegitimacy often did run in families. Certainly in my own Banffshire ancestors I have discovered that my great grandfather,his mother, her father and his father were all illegitimate (with lots of others in researching the extended family). Looking at this area certainly nothing sinister - indeed you could go as far as to say that it was part of the way of life.

William

I also have this in my family, next door in Morayshire. My gt gt grandmother had  my gt grandmother before she married .Her sister had 6 children and never married. My Gt grandmother had 3 children before she married. Usually the children were raised either by their maternal grandparents or in 3 cases by their natural fathers family.

[LizzieL]

My 2xgreat grandmother, Hannah Maria Coxhead, had 5 illegitimate children in and around Newbury BRK, between 1858 and 1872. 

I thought that was pretty amazing.

She married in Dec 1872 and had three other children.

In my tree I have an Elizabeth Coxhead Woodley (d/o Mary Coxhead and James Woodley) from Chaddleworth  near Newbury who had an illegitimate child in 1842. She married my great great grandfather's brother in 1847. Their eldest daughter Mary Louise had five illegitimate children before marrying and having a second brood. Second daughter Jane had two illegitimate children and again married and had further children. Youngest daughter Esther Elizabeth had one child before she married the probable father. This was 1870s / 1880s.